Cotton-drying apparatus.



YDURDAR v COTTON' DRYING APPARATUS.

' APPUcATmN'gvFIL'ED Nov. 6,' 1915.1

' .Patented June 13, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

MAN.

F. 1. DUBDA. COTTON DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. I9I5.

Patented June 13, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. I. DURDA. COTTON DR'YING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. I9I5.

a n o e n o u u w n o a e o n o I QW NM Y the various Iscream 23 is preferably detachably secured in position by suitable turn buttons *or other fasteners 25 within an opening in the back wall of the caslng so that it may be readily removed on the event of clogging ofthe feeders or for the substitution of another concave.

The materialfed by the rolls 21 and 22 passes downward and forward in contact with underlying curved |screens 26, which serve as guides -toconduct the cotton to a front delector '27 for delivery to the agitator, the said screens also serving to permit discharge from the yc otton of any dirt or foreign materials loosened therefrom by action of the feedingand dividing rolls. The cotton striking the'defiector 27 passes downwardly and rearwardlyvover a series of inclined trays'28 having screen bottoms, said trays extending alternately in opposite directionsand providing a. zigzag path or` course of .travel for the loosened cotton which is under treatment, the said trays being supported by tangular frame 29.

In'the voperation of the drier the -frame 29 is vibrated back and forth, thus causing the cotton'to feeddown the shelves through the force of gravity and that produced by the vibration ofthe frame, the dust and other fine foreign particles which may sepa rate from the cotton being discharged successively through the screens and finally falling upon an imperforate shelf 30, down which the refuse matter slides by gravityv into the bottom of the casing or outward through an opening therein.

The means for supporting and vibrating the frame 29 comprises resilient or spring metal hangers 31 .connecting the frame at or adjacent to its corners to the frame of the casing 1, which latter is preferably 'of openivork construction so as to permit vapors to escape and facilitate the drying action. e spring hangers 31 permit back and forth vibration of the screen frame through the Amedium of an actuating mechanism compri'sing afstub shaft 32 having at one end cranks 33 and 34, said shaft belng journaled vupon the casing and having its crank member 33 coupled `bya connecting rod 35 to one of the upper hangers 3l and having its other crank member 34 connected by a link 36 with one arm of a bell crank lever 37, the otherl arm of, which is coupled by a connecting rod 38 to one of the lower hangers, the 'construction' being such that as the shaft revolves the connecting rods will be Vreciprocated and swing or vibrate the screen frame back and forth in an obvious manner. The cotton on its course of travel ,is subjected te the drying action of a heated Huid, such as hot air, whichl fluid is injected through. injector4 Pipes 39 disposed-beneath 26 and 28, said pipes ranged at such an angle of the separation and.

an openwork oblong rec-l lengagement with niet/gear perforations 40 aras to inject the blast of air from below npward through the adjacent screen in the direction of travel of the cotton, by means of which all portions of the cotton will be permeated by the air, the moisture driven out and the cotton dried. The dried cotton discharges from the base of the casingthrough al suction outlet 41 communicating with the delivery pipe 12.

he means for operating the various parts of the apparatus consist of intermeshing gears 42 and 43 on the shafts of the feed rolls 19 and 20, which gear 43 meshes with a worm 44 on a suitably journaled shaft carrying a gear 45 having al plurality of annular sets of teeth arranged concentric with and at different distances from its axis.V I

rlhe gear 45 is arranged to mesh with a gear 46 loose upon the shaft 21 of the feed roll 21, said gear 46 having a sleeve 4'? carrying a set screw 48, whereby it may be fixed to the shaft 21 and is adjustable for any one of the annular sets of teeth on the gear 45, whereby the picking rolls 21 and 22 and the drying and screening mechanism may be driven at different rates of speed. As shown, the shaft 21 of the roll 21, which is driven as described from the shaft of the feeder 20, carries a pulley 48 connected with pulleys 48a and 48b on the shaft ofthe roll 22 and the shaft 32, respectively, byl a belt 48, by means of which the roll 22y driven. 0n the shaft 19 is a pulley 49 for driving any suitable source of power. for supplying hot air from the pipe 2 leading from the heater 3, to the pipes 39 consists of a series of pipes 50 arranged upon the side of the screen frame opposite the screen frame vibrating mechanism and which may consist of one or more jointed sections, as indicated at 51, to permit the frame to vibrate without interference from the pipe connections, while at the same time permitting of the free supply of hot air or other heating medium to the internal blast pipes.

I claim p l. In an apparatus for drying cotton, the combination of a frame or casing, feeding means for conducting the cotton thereto, means for dividing up or loosening the feeding cotton, a series of inclined perforated shelves arranged in zigzag order within said frame or casing, and over which the cotton is adapted to travel between the top and bottom of the casing, meansfor heating the interior of the frame or casing, and means for vibrating the inclined shelves.

2. lin a machine for drying cotton, the combination of a frarneor casing, means forV feeding the cotton thereto, spurred rolls arhaving outlet slots orA and shaft 32 arel rie ranged to engage and loosen up the fed cotton, a conductor arranged in the'path of the loose cotton and having a 'series'v of'inclined `shelves arranged in zigzag order,'means for vibrating Ythe conductor-to constantly vum the cotton over and over in its course of transit, and 'means for' passing va heating uid through said shelves.

3. In an apparatus for' drying cotton, the combination of a vframe Vor casing, means for conducting the -cotton thereto, means supported upon the frame or vcasing for dividing'up or loosening i cotton, a vibratory frame arranged Within feeding the feeding the casinggand having inclined shelves arranged in zigzag order over which the cotton is'adapted to pass, means for vibrating said frame, and' conducting pipes heating .fluid arranged below the shelves and havingoutlets'or directing the currents of heated fluid through 'the shelves against' the feeding cotton,

."In testimon whereof- 'adiix my signature :inY presence o f two witnesses.

, p i FRANK J. DURDAL.

Witnesses:

` G. C. E. VAUQHAN,

Jon IVAUGN.,

for a 

